From the beginning, the reminiscent quality of his tone is contrasted by the unique production of this song. It starts with a boosted synth and a repetitious strum of the guitar. He sets a fast pace with the addition of a soft beat, recorded to imitate the beat of a butterfly wing. Then, he enters, honestly and powerfully, The roadtrip of “Bleeding Orange” concludes with some harmonies, a final chorus, and the tick of a clock. I am left reflecting on this song’s beautiful discovery of the pain of dreams. The honest lyrics, intricate production, and organically harmonious sound of Tamkin’s voice make the song resonate and rock.

Singer-songwriter Dave Tamkin has made a career out of bringing his energetic personality and frenetic guitar to the stage and connecting with crowds all over the country. It is a style that allows him to stand out from the thousands of over singer-songwriters with acoustic guitars out there. This latest release continues that trend and it really helps add a new dynamic to the song. When Tamkin’s vocals take off on the choruses you can almost hear the pain those butterflies met on that fateful night.

Undoubtedly, its Tamkin’s gift of words that make “Bleeding Orange” stand out. “I was given wings young as I can imagine” is soon followed by the imagery of “building dreams on broken strings and napkins”. Tamkin continues to flex his lyrical gift with lines such as “when will my heart age to match my reflection”, “windshield crime scene running down this dream”, and “I learned to fly just to find my way home”. With every passing line, the listener is drawn in to hear the story behind the music and always left wanting more.

With a rhythmic guitar line strewn with distorted bass to let you know this will be a grave topic, Tamkin builds up to the soaring “I learned to fly just to find my way home.” In a unique blend of monarch butterfly migration set to a Petty-esque vocal and song styles, “Bleeding Orange” will touch your wounded, driving soul. As we all strive for something beautiful, and while just as often we unexpectedly collide into a proverb windshield, this incredibly original song will be universally resonant.

With a sound somewhere between Cat Stevens and Jim Croce, Boulder’s own Dave Tamkin delivers a sweet package of musical delights. His first track “Bleeding Orange” is about butterflies. The remainder of the tracks are equally amazing, and there are no weak tracks on the album. We think this one deserves to be on repeat, and we can’t stop listening over and over again, especially “Bleeding Orange,” “Fly Me,” “Drift,” “Mary,” and “Thoughts up Here.”

Smooth melodies with powerful lyrics and moving beats are what Dave Tamkin is all about. The songs flow between slow and upbeat with multiple builds throughout. Tamkin’s emotion-filled vocals ring throughout the Live at eTown album telling stories fueled by inspiration and hope.

Over five songs, and a mere 17 minutes of playtime, Boulder by way of Chicago songwriter Dave Tamkin puts forth a collection of tracks that are sophisticated, easy-listening and radio friendly. Full review HERE

In regards to the the new 2017 EP, the recordings themselves sound great, enjoying the tunes! Nice. I dig the mix of Dave expanding sound-wise, but still holding onto elements of the Dave Tamkin signatures here and there. Demons might be my favorite. Some nice lyrics.

Chicago-born and living in Boulder, Co., Dave Tamkin releases his first set of songs in 5 years with an EP called Cedar. Dave Tamkin continues to establish himself as a growing indie-roots songwriter with a fresh sense of instrumentation, voice, and energy.

I’ve had it on repeat for a week and can declare it the best collection of local tunes I’ve heard in quite some time.